Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson

Wilkinson at the premiere of Belle at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013
Born Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson
5 February 1948
Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Occupation Actor
Years active 1976–present
Spouse(s) Diana Hardcastle
(1998[1]–present)

Thomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson,[2] OBE (born 5 February 1948)[1][3] is an English actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award, for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton. In 2009, he won Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Film for playing Benjamin Franklin in John Adams.

Personal life

Wilkinson was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of Marjorie and Thomas Wilkinson, Sr., a farmer.[4][5] At the age of four, he moved with his family to Canada, where they lived for several years before returning to England and running a pub in Cornwall.[6] Wilkinson graduated from the University of Kent, where he was a member of T24 Drama Society (then named UKCD) and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[7]

Wilkinson currently lives in North London with his wife, actress Diana Hardcastle, and their two children, Alice and Molly.

In 2011, Wilkinson and Hardcastle portrayed husband and wife Joe and Rose Kennedy in the mini series The Kennedys.

Career

Wilkinson made his acting debut in 1976 and worked on several British television series, most notably the mini-series First Among Equals (1986). He first gained critical acclaim with his appearance as Mr. Pecksniff, in the BBC’s 1994 adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit. He made only the occasional film, including a brief appearance in 1995’s Sense and Sensibility and a villain in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996). After becoming part of the ensemble cast of the smash hit The Full Monty in 1997, a role which earned him a BAFTA, he began to take film roles more frequently, including supporting roles in Oscar and Lucinda, Wilde, Shakespeare in Love, and The Patriot.

His portrayal of Matt Fowler, in Todd Field's In the Bedroom, received international praise from critics.[8] For the role, he was named Best Actor of the Year by the New York Film Critics' Circle, and went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. That success was followed up by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Normal, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Batman Begins, and Separate Lies.[9]

In 2007, Wilkinson played the manic depressive attorney Arthur Edens in Michael Clayton and garnered much critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The same year, he played an uncle planning for murder in Woody Allen’s Cassandra's Dream.

In 2008, Wilkinson portrayed American patriot Benjamin Franklin in the HBO mini-series John Adams. In the HBO film, Recount, Wilkinson, with an uncanny resemblance, also portrayed American political adviser and lawyer, James A. Baker, in Baker’s capacity as Chief Counsel to George W. Bush during the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election controversy, receiving an Emmy Award for the former and a nomination for the latter. He also received a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors' Guild Award nomination for his role in John Adams. He also portrayed Friedrich Fromm, Commander in Chief of the German Reserve Army alongside Tom Cruise in the 2008 World War II thriller Valkyrie.

Wilkinson stars in the horror comedy Burke and Hare, which is directed by John Landis.[10] His role as Harvard professor / covert CIA high official in Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer was well noticed. He played another historical character, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., in the 2011 television miniseries The Kennedys, for which he gained an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-series or Movie.[11] Earlier that year, he released The Green Hornet and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Honours

Wilkinson received a Doctor of Letters honorary degree from the University of Kent in July 2001.[12]

In the 2005 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to Drama".[13]

Filmography

Year Film Role Other notes
1976 Smuga cienia Chef Ransome Polish adaptation of Joseph Conrad's The Shadow Line
1983 Spyship Martin Taylor BBC series (6 episodes) loosely based on the loss of FV Gaul in 1974
1984 Parker Tom
A Pocket Full of Rye Detective Inspector Neele TV adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple
1985 Sylvia Keith Henderson
Wetherby Roger Braithwaite
1986 Sharma and Beyond Vivian
1988 The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Silberbauer TV
1989 First and Last Stephen TV
1990 Inspector Morse Music Master Jake Normington Season 4 "The Infernal Serpent"
1990 Paper Mask Dr. Thorn
1991 Prime Suspect Peter Rawlins TV
1993 In the Name of the Father Grant Richardson
1994 Priest Father Matthew Thomas
Measure for Measure The Duke TV
Martin Chuzzlewit Seth Pecksniff TV
Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
A Business Affair Bob
Prince of Jutland Hardvendel
1995 Sense and Sensibility Mr. Dashwood
1996 The Ghost and the Darkness Robert Beaumont
Eskimo Day Hugh Lloyd
1997 Smilla's Sense of Snow Prof. Loyen
The Full Monty Gerald BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — MTV Film Award for Best Dance Sequence
Wilde Marquess of Queensberry
Oscar and Lucinda Hugh Stratton
Cold Enough for Snow Hugh Lloyd TV
Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
1998 The Governess Mr. Charles Cavendish
Rush Hour Thomas Griffin/Juntao
Shakespeare in Love Hugh Fennyman Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1999 Ride with the Devil Orton Brown
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Brother Joseph Dutton
2000 Essex Boys John Dyke
The Patriot General Charles Lord Cornwallis
Chain of Fools Robert Bollingsworth
2001 In the Bedroom Matt Fowler Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Actor
Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting (shared with Sissy Spacek)
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated — American Film Institute Award for Actor of the Year
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Another Life Mr. Carlton
Black Knight Sir Knolte of Malborough
2002 The Gathering Storm Sir Robert Vansittart TV
The Importance of Being Earnest Dr. Frederick Chasuble
2003 Normal Roy Applewood Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Girl with a Pearl Earring Pieter Van Ruijven
2004 If Only Taxi driver
Piccadilly Jim Bingley Crocker
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Dr. Howard Mierzwiak
Stage Beauty Betterton
A Good Woman Tuppy
2005 Ripley Under Ground John Webster
Batman Begins Carmine Falcone Also voiced the character in the film's video game adaptation
The Exorcism of Emily Rose Father Moore
Separate Lies James Manning Nominated — London Critics Circle Film Award for British Actor of the Year
2006 The Night of the White Pants Max Hagan
The Last Kiss Stephen
2007 Dedication Rudy Holt
Cassandra's Dream Howard
Michael Clayton Arthur Edens London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Prism Award for Performance in a Feature Film
Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated — St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
2008 John Adams Benjamin Franklin Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Monte Carlo TV Festival Award for Outstanding Actor – Mini Series
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Recount James Baker Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
RocknRolla Lenny Cole
Valkyrie Friedrich Fromm
A Number Salter Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2009 Duplicity Howard Tully
44 Inch Chest Archie San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
The Gruffalo Fox Voice Only
Jackboots on Whitehall Goebbels Voice Only
2010 The Ghost Writer Paul Emmett
Burke and Hare Dr. Robert Knox
2011 The Green Hornet James Reid
The Conspirator Reverdy Johnson
The Kennedys Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. TV
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Monte Carlo TV Festival Award for Mini-Series – Best Performance by an Actor
The Debt Stefan
The Gruffalo's Child[14] Fox
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol IMF Secretary Uncredited
2012 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Graham Nominated — British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Sleeping Dogs Superintendent Pendrew[15] Video game role – voice
Fury Xavier
2013 The Lone Ranger Latham Cole
Belle Lord Mansfield
Felony Detective Carl Summer
2014 The Grand Budapest Hotel Author
Good People DI John Halden
Selma Lyndon B. Johnson
Jenny's Wedding Eddie
2015 Unfinished Business Timothy McWinters
Little Boy Fr. Oliver
Bone in the Throat Charlie Post-production
2016 The Choice Dr. Shep Filming
Snowden Ewen MacAskill Filming

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Brown, Mark (22 February 2008). "'The thing you can't fake is that he has a moral authority ... he brings a sense of gravity, detail and intelligence'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  2. "Honorary graduates 2000–09". University of Kent. 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  3. Born January–March 1948, according to the Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.; at ancestry.com
  4. Tom Wilkinson Biography. Tiscali.co.uk.
  5. Tom Wilkinson biography. Yahoo! Movies.
  6. Riding, Alan (10 March 2002). "Oscar Films/View From Abroad; The Actor Next Door Quietly Savors His New Fame". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  7. "Newsmakers". news.bbc.co.uk. 15 February 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  8. "''In the Bedroom'' at Meta Critic". Metacritic.com. 23 November 2001. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  9. "Official Casting for John Landis' 'Burke & Hare' Comedy". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  10. "Fisher, Serkis, Wilkinson in 'Burke and Hare'". Heatvisionblog.com. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  11. 2011 Emmy Nominations List: 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations Announced, Huffington Post, 14 July 2011. Accessed 15 July 2011.
  12. 2 mins ago. "Honorary graduates 2000–09 – About Kent – University of Kent". Kent.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57509. p. 13. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  14. "The Gruffalo's Child". BBC One. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tswxmiUUSfQ

External links

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